Re: Apocalypse Game-Novel

203  Casualties

[New York Server: 2,502 (2,289)]

[Paris Server: 959 (775)]

[Cairo Server: 607 (478])

[Bangkok Server: 562 (225])

The casualties on the sixth night were nothing short of catastrophic, with over 800 players falling in the face of the relentless undead horde. The toll was particularly devastating for the Bangkok server players, who suffered the heaviest losses. The eastern garrison's destruction and the extensive damage to the 10-mile walls forced the leaders to make a grim decision: abandon the walls and retreat to the safety of the Britannia capital city, Camelot.

As Alan and the hundreds of surviving players made their way towards Camelot, they were met with a horrifying sight. Every Britannia town and village they passed through lay in ruins, reduced to smoldering ashes with no signs of survivors. The once-thriving settlements had been razed to the ground, leaving an eerie silence in their wake. The charred remnants of homes and buildings bore witness to the intensity of the destruction, with blackened timbers and rubble scattered across the landscape. Smoke still billowed from the smoldering ruins, casting a pall of darkness over the once-idyllic countryside.

The players couldn't help but wonder what could have caused such devastation. Vicky's incredulous question hung in the air, echoing the sentiments of everyone present. "How could this be? It's only been a few hours since the garrison was destroyed. How could the undead have managed to destroy these villages so quickly?"

Merle and his team investigated the area and came to a grim conclusion. "These are not the actions of the undead," he reported. "Someone else is responsible for this devastation."

Daniel voiced the collective confusion and anger. "Who could do something like this, and why? What's the purpose behind it?"

A sense of dread hung in the air as Daniel questioned the motives behind these atrocities. Alan, revealed the horrifying truth—he knew the requirements for the job class [Death Knight], which entailed killing 1000 innocent civilians. The sight of five Death Knights, including Zencher, standing around the French nobleman left no room for doubt. Axel had ordered these ruthless individuals to each slaughter a thousand helpless Britannia residents.

The reason behind this gruesome massacre was chillingly pragmatic: farming points. In the context of this round of Apocalypse Game, when villagers perished, they would turn into undead zombies. Axel had exploited this mechanic to accumulate hundreds of thousands of survival points and XP, even millions. His absence during the critical defense of the garrison was now explained—he had been busy rounding up thousands of villagers and mercilessly ending their lives to reap the rewards.

The revelation left the group in a state of shock and anger, their emotions roiling as they contemplated the depths to which Axel would sink for his own gain. It was a grim reminder that, in the midst of the apocalypse, some players were willing to commit unspeakable acts in pursuit of power and advantage.

Alan couldn't help but acknowledge the cunning behind Axel's plan. In the cutthroat world of the apocalypse game, the idea of exploiting such mechanics of accumulating survival points and experience through such slaughter had crossed his mind. However, it was always his plan to ally with Artorius and he also didn't think he could order the deliberate and wholesale massacre of innocent civilians, even if they were just NPCs. Besides, he believed the job class was not worth the negative consequences it would entail.

[Job Name: Death Knight]

[Type: Superior Upgrade]

[Upgrade: Strength +2]

[Active Skill: Death Knight Spirit]

[Increases Attack damage of you and four others in the vicinity by 20% for ten minutes. Each kill further increases damage by 1%, up to a maximum of +10%]

[Cooldown: 30 minutes]

[Side effect: Negative relation with any NPC]

[The Death Knight, a sinister knight known for killing innocents. Its thirst for blood enhances its battle prowess, searching for more death.]

Axel's actions quickly came to light during the meeting held as soon as they reached Camelot City, and it was the first question thrown at him by the leaders of the three servers.

"Why the hell did you do this!?" Chatri, the newly appointed leader of the Bangkok server, demanded an answer, blaming Axel for not sending reinforcements and instead engaging in such a horrifying activity.

Axel, however, remained calm as always and stated his reasons. He explained that, despite the points and XP gained, he had realized that the walls would not hold against the undead onslaught. In his view, killing the civilians preemptively was a strategic move to prevent them from becoming adversaries when the undead inevitably broke through.

"That's very convenient for you! Getting all those points while letting us die!" Chatri retorted angrily, expressing the frustration and anger shared by many in the room.

Axel calmly replied, "I apologize, it took much longer than expected. I really thought the late General Danupol would be able to hold the garrison longer or would decide to retreat sooner. In fairness, I never ordered all of you to guard the garrison to the death."

Hearing their respected general's name being casually used as an excuse for Axel's actions only served to deepen Chatri's rage. With a visible scowl, he abruptly stood up and stormed out of the room, leaving an atmosphere of tension in his wake. Singdal, one of the Thailand players, chose to remain in the meeting, deciding to hear out the rest of the discussion.

Youseff, the leader of the Egypt server, looked toward Singdal and commented, "I think you need to find a more mature leader."  This comment struck a nerve with Singdal and the other Thailand players who were present, further escalating the emotions in the room.

Amidst the rising tension and growing animosity in the room, Captain Carter's commanding presence managed to cut through the negative atmosphere with a single word. "Let's focus on the objectives," she declared, her aura of authority instantly capturing everyone's attention. Her words had a calming effect on the room, reminding the leaders that, despite their differences and grievances, they needed to come together for the sake of their survival.

Axel, sensing the shift in mood, directed his gaze towards the assembled leaders and spoke in a sincere tone, attempting to mend some bridges. "I realized I had underestimated the challenge of this round. The undead indeed have a much larger number than we expected," he admitted. Then, he shamelessly said, "Let us not dwell on the past and instead focus on the future."

Alan, despite his desire to leave the room and distance himself from Axel, understood the importance of staying informed about the Frenchman's plans for defending Camelot. He remained seated, ready to hear what Axel had in store for their next moves.

With a combined force of 3,700 players from the four servers and an additional 500 city guards and 500 cavalrymen from Britannia, the defenders of Camelot numbered close to 5,000 strong.

"Camelot city walls were higher and sturdy, with 5000 men guarding it, we would not lose this round," the French noble said confidently.

Unfortunatly Alan doesn't have the same confidence, he recognizes that without proper preparation and strategy, there could still be hundreds or even thousands of casualties among their ranks. The stakes were high, and the outcome of the next battle would determine their fate in this round of the game.

The leaders began by discussing the placement of their defenses. With their current numbers, they decided on a split-defense approach. The New York server would be responsible for guarding the west wing of the city, while the other three servers would take charge of the east wing, supported by the 500 city guards. The cavalrymen were designated as a backup unit.

Alan found this division of responsibilities agreeable, as it meant they wouldn't have to work closely with the French players.

Once the placement was settled, the discussion shifted to tactics. They explored the plan of creating multiple barricades and trenches outside the walls as a first line of defense. Additionally, they considered the use of siege defense weapons like rocks and stones that could be hurled at the approaching undead hordes. The preparations were meticulous, and every detail counted as they readied themselves for the seventh night's onslaught.

In the mention of such a tactic, Axel turned his attention to Alan and asked, "I heard about your remarkable dynamites. I'm sure you'll be willing to share such valuable resources with the group, won't you?"

Alan was annoyed with the request, but agreed to trade it with some of Axel's cavalry units and The Frenchman accepted this arrangement.

With the strategic preparations laid out, Axel concluded the meeting with a statement of resolve, saying, "Okay then, we have a long day ahead of us. Let's prepare for battle."

Once the meeting ended, and as others began to disperse, Axel approached Alan and suggested, "Let's have a chat in private, shall we?"

x x x x x x x x x x x

I wonder if u agree with Axel action?

Avan